PLEASE NOTE: This article contains MAJOR spoilers for God of War Ragnarok.Proceed at your own risk.God of War Ragnarok marks the end of the Norse saga by pitting Kratos, Atreus, and all their allies against the powerful forces of Asgard. While the end result of Ragnarok is somewhat similar in both mythology and the game, that being the ultimate destruction of Asgard, there are many story elements in the game that drifts away from what was written in mythology. One of the biggest differences is the role of Surtr and his consort Sinmara, the former of which is responsible for destroying Asgard in God of War Ragnarok, and the latter is only mentioned by name a handful of times.
Surtr is a fire giant that guards the realm of Muspelheim, the home of the fire giants in mythology, while Sinmara is a giantess that is mentioned to be the consort of Surtr. In the game, Surtr does not necessarily lord himself over the realm even if it is his, but rather is seen creating weapons in the heat of Muspelheim. Sinmara is considered to be his exact opposite, a frost giant residing in Niflheim. While in God of War Ragnarok, both of them possess undying love for the other, in mythology, Sinmara is Surtr’s consort but is also mentioned as the wife of Mimir.
God of War Ragnarok: How Sinmara Differs From Mythology
In both God of War Ragnarok and Norse mythology, Sinmara is only mentioned a handful of times, albeit for different reasons. In God of War, Surtr mentions that during the events of Ragnarok, he will fuse with his beloved to create the embodiment of Ragnarok that will ultimately bring the destruction of Asgard, at the cost of both their lives. However, in mythology, Sinmara is said to be the keeper of the Laevateinn, a powerful weapon created by Loki, and it is said to be either a wand, sword, or dart based on the translation.
In Norse mythology, Sinmara is the wife of Mimir, who eventually becomes a talking head that Odin carries around and uses as an advisor. While she is also the consort of Surtr, her role in Norse mythology seems to end after being mentioned that she is the keeper of the Laevateinn. In God of War, her role is to be fused with Surtr to create Ragnarok; however, the fire giant convinces Kratos to use his Blades of Chaos to fuse their eternal flames with the heart of Sinmara, which Surtr now possesses, creating the embodiment of Ragnarok. After Ragnarok's death, players who travel to Niflheim will hear her weep, but nothing more unfolds.
God of War: Ragnarok How Surtr Differs From Mythology
Surtr, in mythology, is the guardian and ruler of the fire realm Muspelheim, keeping watch alongside his bright, fiery sword that is said to even outshine the sun. According to the Norse Ragnarok, he is to lead an army of fire giants to Asgard, where along with the frost giants, they will help eliminate the Aesir and Vanir gods. Surtr is destined to be a part of two major events in Ragnarok, engulfing the Earth in fire so that it may be renewed later, and defeating and being killed by the Vanir god, Freyr.
In God of War, Surtr is not depicted as the ruler of the fire giants, rather he is the only fire giant and lives in Muspelheim, yearning for the opportunity to see his wife, Sinmara. He formulates the plan of using the eternal flames in Kratos’ Blades of Chaos to fuse with the heart of Sinmara he possesses, in turn sparing the giantess’ life. Following the fusion, Surtr becomes Ragnarok, a giant creature that is ultimately responsible for destroying Asgard following the death of Odin and inadvertently killing Freyr in the process.
While Surtr and Sinmara may have very different roles in mythology, they play a vital role in bringing forth the events of Ragnarok in the game. While Sinmara is left mostly out of the picture, Surtr seems to be a very different character compared to his mythological counterpart, and when he finally turns into Ragnarok, it is as if all memories of his former self are lost. As he brings about the destruction of Asgard, Surtr closes the final chapter of the God of War Ragnarok, bringing an end to the reign of Asgard.
God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.
